thompson



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.,

J. THOMPSON.

DREDGING- MAGHINE. No. 341,612. Patented May 11, 1886.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. THOMPSON.

DREDGING MACHINE.

No. 341,612. Patented May 11, 1886.

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. THOMPSON. DRBDGING MAGHINE.

No; 341,612. Patented May 11, 1886.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

JOHN THOMPSON, OF BUOYRUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUGYRUS FOUN- DRY AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DREDGlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,612, dated May 11, 1886.

Application filed October 27, 1885. Serial No. 181,094.

To all whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that I, JOHN THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State v of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DredgingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention, showing the construction and location of the spud-operating mechanism, the

IO spuds themselves being omitted for the sake of clearness in the figures, relates to improveprovements in the construction and operation of the spuds, so called, which form part of dredging apparatus, pile drivers, and like 1 machines, they being devices employed for steadying and holding-in place the scow or float while doing its work; and it has special relation to the spuds used on dredgingmachines, which are intended for ditch-digging or other 2 work in which the float will lie adjacent to a wall or bank, although also applicable in part to spuds generally, as herei nafter set'forth.

In the accompanying drawings the same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 illustrates a top plan View ofa dredging-machine embodying the'invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a side elevation of one of the spuds. Fig. 3 illustrates afront elevation of one of the spuds. Fig. 4 illustrates a top plan view of the spud operating mechanism .en-

larged. V

A is the float or scow. B is a frame erected thereon for the support of certain parts of the mechanism. 0 is the mast. D is the boom.

E E represent parts of the swinging frame which supports the boom, and which isturned by suitable draft-chains connected with a suitble drum or equivalent device. All these parts are constructed as usual in such machines, and the other necessary parts thereof are also present, many of them being illustrated in the drawings. They arenot, however, except as hereinafter set forth, specifically described, since they are not material to .5 a clear understanding of the invention.

G G are two frames or uprights erected in pairs on opposite sides of the scow, preferably a little aft of the mast. They consist of strong uprights of timber or metal suitably braced,

which act as the ways or guides for the spudframes to slide in. The spud frames are seen at H H. They are suitably strengthened by (No model.)

cross-braces I I, and slide up and down in the frames G G.

J J aretimbers oriron pieces firmly boltedto 5 5 the spud-frames H H, one to each side of each spud-frame. They extend downwardly and outwardly at an angle'thereto, and from their lower ends other timbers or pieces of iron, K K, extend inwardly and are fastened to the spud frames H H. There are also preferably erossbraces L L, which extend from the spud-frame H H upwardly and'outwardly, crossing the pieces J and K, and are firmly bolt-ed or otherwise fastened to them. The under sides of the pieces K and L are planked over. The planks are seen at M, they extending the width of the spud-frames, and as much farther as may be desired.

The side pieces, H H,of the spud-frames are confined within the ways G G by plates N N, &c,, bolted to the uprights G G, and extending over the pieces H H, or in any other suitable manner.

The spuds are raised and lowered by means 7 5 of the chains or ropes O, which are respectively fastened at one end to an upper crosspiece in the spud-frames, respectively, (seen at P,) and thence,extending downwardly, take several turns around a drum or shatt,Q, there being a drum for each spud revolving in journals 011 the deck of the float, and the lower ends of the chains, respectively, are fastened to lower cross-pieces of the Spudframes, (seen at R.) The drums Q are turned by means of worm gear-wheels S, placed on the shaft of the drums, which mesh into worms T. The worms T are rotated by chain belts U, which pass over sprocket-wheels N on the worm-shafts. The chains extend aft,and pass around pulleys o orsprocket-wheels W, one being provided for each chain. They are placed loosely on an extension of the shaft X of the downhaul drum Y. These pulleys \V run loosely on the shaft X, and act merely as idlers until they 5 are brought up to the frictionsurfiicesZ Z, as

' hereinafter set forth.

The pulleys V are doublegrooved, and from the groove not occupied by the chain belt U another chain belt, A, extends rearwardly ICC and passes around other sprocket-wheels or pulleys B, placed loosely on an extension of the shaft of the hoisting'drum G, the same as those on the shaft of the downhaul drum Y,

and these pulleys B are also idlers until brought up to the friction-surfaces D D. The friction surfaces Z Z and D D are rigidly attached to the shafts on which they are placed, and the pulleys \V W and B B are all .pro vided with friction-surfaces adapted to engage with them for the purposes of rotation.

E isaheavy metallicplate or piece of timber, to which are connected by pivots F F at some distance from their ends two rocking levers, G 0". These levers at H H, Stc.,en gage by means of suitable pivotal connections with the pulleys \V W and B B, preferably through the hubs of these several pulleys. The levers G O extend forwardly, and engage with rods 1 1, respectively, which are extended to any convenient place for the workmen to operate them, where these terminate in hand-levers J J, which will be attached in any suitable manner to the ends of the rods 1 l at the points marked J J. It will thus be seen that by operating the levers which, as stated, may be attached at the ends of the rods 1 1 shown at J J, forward orback, as required, the several pulleys WV \V and B B will be brought to bear against the friction-surfaces Z Z and D 1), respectively, and also that inasmuch as the rotation of the shaft of the hoisting-drum, on which thepulleys B B are placed, is the reverse of that of the shaft ofthe down haul drum, on which the pulleys XV XV are placed, the chains U will be made to travel in opposite directious-in other words, the worms, and consequently the drums Q, will be turned in different directions, and the spuds wound up or down, depending on whether the pulleys B B or \V \V are in contact with the respective friction surfaces; and it will also be observed that when the pulleys \V \V are driven against their respective friction-surfaces by the levers G and 0, respectively, the same levers will automatically carry the pulleys B B away from their friction-surfaces D D. Thus they will run loose and be simply idlers supporting the chain belts A A, and also that when the same levers are employed to force the pulleys B B against the friction surfaces D D. By this act they remove the pulleys V \V away from the f riction-surfaces Z Z, and that then these pulleys simply transmit the motion received from the chains A A to the chains U, for operating the worms.

It is obvious that instead of the chain 0 and drum Q a pinion on the drum-shaft which engages with a rack on the spud-frame H may be used, or other equivalent device.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the scow or float to be working in a ditch made by itself or in any other place adjacent to a bank against which it may receive support, so that the weight of the loaded bucket or other load will not keel the float over when swung outboard for dumping or other pur pose, the down-haul and lifting chains of the machine are slacked up or disconnected or put in such relation to their winding-drums,

respectively, by unwinding as to allow of ro tation of their respective drums without jamming. Then, by means of the lever J or J, as the case may be, depending on whether the spud to be operated is on one side or the other of the float, the pulley W or B, which is connected to the lever which is moved, will be brought into contact with the friction-surface Z or D, depending upon whether the spud is to be lowered or raised, and in this manner it will be apparent that the two spuds can be brought down upon the edge of the banks and forced down hard thereon, thus holding the float firmly between them. The worm F not only moves the spud frames, but locks the same in their desired position, the pressure against the spuds not being sufficient to turn them, and thus the spuds can be elevated or depressed at pleasure, and made to accommodate themselves to banks of different heights. A crank attached to the shaft of the worm T may be employed to operate the spuds by hand, if desired. The side pieces, H H, of the spud-frames are carried down below the planked-up part of the spuds, so that they may be used to steady the float by contact with the bottom of the ditch, where banks are not available, even if submersion of the planked-up part of the spuds is necessary to attain this end.

I do not limit myself to the details of con struction shown, since they may be greatly departed from and still my invention be employed.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a dredge or like machine, of spuds formed of a sliding frame having laterally-extending platfornrlike surfaces adapted to take a bearing on the bank of a ditch, guides for the spud-frames, and mechanism for raising and lowering the spuds, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a dredge or like machine, of spuds formed of a sliding frame having laterally-extending platform-like surfaces adapted to take a bearing on the bank of a ditch, guides for the frames, and downwardly-projecting portions of the spud-frames below the platform-like surfaces adapted to take a bearing on the bottom of the ditch, and mechanism for raising and lowering the spudframes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of loose pulleys B B XV \V, mounted on shafts, friction-surfaces D D Z Z, belts Uand A, means for moving the pulleys against the friction-surfaces, respect ively, driving-wheels engaging with the belts U, and sliding spuds operated by the drivingwheels, whereby the spuds may be forced downwardly and also elevated, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of loose pulleys WV \V and B B, mounted on shafts, friction-surfaces D D and Z Z, belts A and U, pivoted levers G O, hand-levers connecting with the levers G O, and sliding spuds caused to move up wardly and downwardly by engagement with l and mechanism for vertically adjusting the the driving-belts A and U, depending on the said support or frame, substantially as and movement of the levers G O, carrying the for the purposes set forth.

loose pulleys V 'W' and B B, substantially as Signed at New York, in the county of New 5 and for the purposes set forth. York and State of New York, this 23d day of 15 5. The combination, in a dredge or like I October, A. D. 1885. machine, of a laterally-extending support or JOHN THOMPSON. frame adjustable vertically relative to the \Vitnesses: bank, the outer part whereof is adapted to JOHN H. IVES,

1o steady the float by its impact against the bank, J onN J. OAULDWELL. 

